Horwath and NDP caucus ready to fight for the middle class and struggling Ontarians

Queen’s Park – NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the upcoming session of the Legislature has to focus on the issues that matter to middle class and struggling Ontarians.

“The Liberals first budget has resulted in school closures, nurses on the picket line, more than half a million Ontarians still out of work and hundreds of thousands more underemployed, without any sense of security or optimism,” said Horwath.

“The Wynne Liberals have to stop its attack on the services families depend on and its war on public sector workers. We will fight any budget that puts corporate tax breaks and huge giveaways to the wealthy ahead of public services for hard working families and creating jobs for small businesses,” she continued.

Another NDP priority will be to begin the hard work of restoring public confidence and trust in our political process and institutions.

“The first step in restoring public trust is for Premier Wynne and her Liberal government to take responsibility for their behaviour,” said Horwath.

The Liberals are now under three separate OPP investigations, including Premier Wynne’s Deputy Chief of Staff and prominent local operative in what OPP investigators believe to be a bribe in the Sudbury by-election.

“The Premier must remove her Deputy Chief of Staff and the Chair of the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board, both Liberal Party members and appointees of the Premier, until the OPP anti-rackets squad and Elections Ontario finish their investigations,” said Horwath. “There is precedent in Ontario and across the country that when someone is in a position of trust and under criminal investigation, they step aside from their duties until the investigation is complete. It’s the only credible and responsible choice the Premier has.”

The NDP Leader also believes that the determination to prosecute must be made by an out of the province prosecutor, including whether or not the Premier should be prosecuted for her role in the scandal.

“Ontarians must be satisfied that justice has been done and these investigations are above approach. The Liberal government and the Premier’s Office in particular have a history of cover-ups and obstructing investigations,” said Horwath.

“It’s time the Liberals did the right thing and took responsibility for their actions in the Sudbury scandal, ORNGE and the gas plant boondoggle and cover up. The Legislature must get on with the important job of moving the province forward and support the middle class and struggling Ontarians,” Horwath concluded.